Washington, D.C. — Within the school choice movement, microschools—an alternative private school model with learning pods averaging 16 students or fewer—are a growing trend that raise a number of concerns when it comes to accountability and equity. The lack of federal definition and regulations governing microschools has created a void that has led to these schools benefiting from public funding through voucher programs and increased autonomy without accountability.
New analysis from the Center for American Progress describes the concerns around microschools and provides policy recommendations to address them. This is the first installation in CAP’s series interrogating attempts to privatize public education through the school choice movement.
Key findings from the analysis include:
- Microschools may not be beholden to antidiscrimination laws such as Title IX and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, meaning they pose increased risks of discrimination for students.
- In 2024, 32 percent of microschools reported receiving state-provided school choice funds as a source of revenue, even though 60 percent of microschooling families are either at or above the average income for their areas, suggesting they may not need vouchers to cover private tuition.
- In some localities, microschools are allowed to evade health and safety requirements, including requirements to make their buildings accessible to students with disabilities and building codes that regulate air quality.
“The average American parent may not even know what microschools are, let alone how rapidly they’re gaining popularity across the country,” said Tania Otero Martinez, policy analyst for K-12 Education Policy at CAP and co-author of the issue brief. “Not only do microschools lack a documented return on investment in delivering students a quality education—they also raise a number of concerns when it comes to their lack of accountability to state or federal standards.”
“Thankfully, there are opportunities for policymakers to step up and address the concerns microschools raise,” said Paige Shoemaker DeMio, senior policy analyst for K-12 Education Policy at CAP and co-author of the issue brief. “At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Education should adopt a comprehensive definition of microschools to avoid further confusion and encourage clearer regulation. State and local policymakers can also play a key role in enforcing accountability measures and collecting data specific to microschools, similar to what exists for private schools.”
Read the brief: “The Importance of Holding Microschools Accountable” by Tania Otero Martinez and Paige Shoemaker DeMio
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Mishka Espey at [email protected].